UKTV Corporate Site

UKTV offers a Gold-en opportunity

In September 2013, UKTV welcomed its first apprentice to its workforce. Beating 92 other applicants to the role as marketing assistant for TV channels Dave and Gold, Charlie Guy, 18, has already worked on a photo shoot with comedian Ross Noble and assisted with the recording of a radio advert. First published on www.thehrdirector.com, this is the story of how he got the job-

UKTV is the award-winning British media company behind ten popular television channels, including Dave, Gold, Watch, Alibi, Really, Yesterday, Drama, Home, Eden and Good Food. The London-based business, which employs 200 people, this year became the first UK television broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies, the body behind the prestigious The Sunday Times Best Companies To Work For list.

Commended for its appealing working environment and clear set of values and behaviours, UKTV is committed to fully training its staff to the highest level and pledges to provide a motivational and imaginative surrounding for entrepreneurial thinking and career development.

With UKTV's emphasis on finding fresh new talent in mind, the Mayor of London's Apprenticeship Campaign, run in connection with the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), caught UKTV Chief Executive Officer Darren Childs eye.

UKTV's HR Director Claire Astley and representatives from GLA and NAS met to discuss how UKTV could get involved. Astley explained, 'UKTV is always keen to harness young talent. As a company we felt an apprentice would bring fresh energy, ideas and could provide a window into one of the key demographic markets our channel brands aim to penetrate.'

'Immediately I thought the scheme would be a great chance for us to offer a work opportunity to someone with little or no media experience and provide the right candidate with a fantastic stepping stone to a career in media.'

The process was kick-started when the Dave and Gold marketing team identified a genuine business need for a dynamic and motivated assistant, an exciting entry level vacancy which would provide the perfect opportunity for a budding apprentice. UKTV was partnered with Outsource Training and Development Ltd, a training and recruitment organisation with over 20 years experience in such schemes. Outsource initiated the recruitment process and screened the 93 applications for the role.

The UKTV recruitment process has recently been revamped to give candidates a more rounded experience. Each applicant must partake in a phone interview, skills interview, values interview, peer interview and an interview with a top executive, giving them the opportunity to meet with people from a variety of departments and gain an insight into the company's unique culture.

This same rigorous process was employed for each potential apprentice who made Outsource's shortlist. The right candidate would need to demonstrate a genuine passion for the role and prove they had gained transferable experience and skills gained through study or extra-curricular activities which they would bring with them.

Sarah Yeoman, Senior Brand Manager on Gold said, 'It was Charlie Guy who impressed at every interview stage. He felt like the perfect candidate. He was keen, mature, had a genuine interest in TV and marketing and felt like a great fit for the role and team.'

Guy reflects on the whole application process positively.

I was really excited when I found out about the vacancy as it was so different to most others I'd come across. I actually really enjoyed the interview process as I am happy to talk to quite literally anyone. Waiting to hear back on my final interview was nerve-racking but when I got the call I was over the moon.

During his 18-month apprenticeship Guy will also study for his NVQ Level 3 in Marketing with Outsource. 'Marketing is pretty new to me; however I did create the first print advert for my dad's company when he started it, which certainly gave me a taste for it', he said.

Since joining UKTV Guy has immersed himself in his new role, 'Just a few days in, I got to attend UKTV's annual Showcase event. It was amazing to be a part of, and it was very surreal seeing celebrities such as David Attenborough and Jarvis Cocker in real life.

'I've also worked on a promo shoot and a radio shoot, contributed to creative brainstorms and attended lots of interesting internal and external meetings. I really appreciate being thrown in the deep end, as I think it shows the company's commitment to the apprenticeship scheme and has made me feel like a valued employee already.'

Yeoman, Guy's manager, added, 'I'm really looking forward to working with Charlie for the next 18 months, building his skills and giving him a positive experience working within the broadcast industry. It's a very exciting time for UKTV. The business is growing, so this is a fantastic opportunity for Charlie to be a part of that.'

HR director Astley feels that this has been a 'very smooth and successful experience. Innovation is at the heart of the UKTV brand ethos, so we're proud to embrace this new recruitment process and would encourage other media companies to follow suit.' UKTV has committed to finding further apprenticeship opportunities in the future.